RATIONALE: Vaccines may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells. Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's white blood cells to kill tumor cells. Combining vaccine therapy with interleukin-2 may be an effective treatment for metastatic melanoma.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to compare the effectiveness of vaccine therapy with or without interleukin-2 in treating patients who have metastatic melanoma that has not responded to previous therapy.

OBJECTIVES:

• Compare the efficacy of gp100:209-217(210M) peptide and MART-1:26-35(27L) peptide administered with or without high-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) in patients with metastatic melanoma who are HLA-A0201 positive.
• Determine the efficacy of these peptides in patients who cannot receive IL-2.
• Compare the efficacy of IL-2 with or without these peptides in patients who need immediate treatment with IL-2.
• Determine the efficacy of MART-1:26-35(27L) peptide in patients who have received prior gp100 antigen.
• Compare the immunologic response experienced by patients who have received peptide, with or without IL-2, as measured by changes in T-cell precursors from before to after treatment.
• Compare the toxic effects of these regimens in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a partially randomized study.

Patients are assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups based on disease status and prior therapy.

• Group A (eligible to receive interleukin-2 (IL-2) but not in immediate need; no prior immunization with gp100 or MART-1 antigen): Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

  • Arm I: Patients receive gp100 and MART-1 peptides emulsified in Montanide ISA-51 (ISA-51) subcutaneously (SC) on day 1. (Arm I closed as of 10/30/02).
  • Arm II: Patients receive both peptides as in arm I on day 1 and high-dose IL-2 IV over 15 minutes every 8 hours on days 2-5 (for up to 12 doses). (Arm II closed as of 10/30/02).

• Group B (ineligible to receive IL-2 due to other debilitating disease): Patients receive treatment as in group A, arm I.

• Group C (need immediate IL-2 therapy due to extensive and rapid progression of disease): Patients receive treatment as in group A, arm II. (Group C closed as of 10/30/02).

• Group D (prior immunization with gp100 antigen): Patients receive modified MART-1:26-35(27L) peptide emulsified in ISA-51 SC on day 1.

Treatment in all groups repeats every 3 weeks for 4 courses. Patients who achieve a minor, mixed, or partial response may receive up to 12 additional courses. Patients who achieve complete response receive 2 additional courses.

Patients are followed at 4-6 weeks.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 103 patients (15-25 for group A, arm I; 19-33 for group A, arm II; and 15 each for groups B, C, and D) will be accrued for this study within 1 year.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed metastatic melanoma that has failed standard therapy
• Measurable disease
• HLA-A0201 positive

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 16 and over

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

• More than 3 months

Hematopoietic:

• WBC at least 3,000/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 90,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL (less than 3.0 mg/dL for patients with Gilbert's syndrome)
• AST/ALT less than 3 times normal
• Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
• No coagulation disorder

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

• No major cardiovascular disease
• If cardiovascular disease or other debilitating symptoms present, may receive peptide emulsified with Montanide ISA-51 only

Pulmonary:

• No major respiratory disease

Other:

• Not pregnant
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• HIV negative
• No active systemic infection
• No autoimmune disease or immunodeficiency disease
• No primary or secondary immunodeficiency

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• At least 3 weeks since prior biologic therapy
• No prior MART-1 antigen immunization

Chemotherapy:

• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• At least 3 weeks since prior endocrine therapy
• No concurrent steroid therapy

Radiotherapy:

• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery:

• Prior surgery allowed